


No More Heroes

by superbambi



Series: Azurrin Week 2017 [3]
Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Angst, Azurrin Week 2017, F/F, also a little fluff, also: canon character death (just in case it needed tagged folks)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-08
Updated: 2017-08-08
Packaged: 2018-12-13 00:23:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11748252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/superbambi/pseuds/superbambi
Summary: Corrin has always dreamed of being a hero. It all she's ever wanted.But right now, she feels like no one's hero.





	No More Heroes

**Author's Note:**

> aka. all aboard the sad train.  
> I have a (new, half-decent) tumblr: heysupernumpty  
> Hope you enjoy, let me know what you think (tips appreciated)

_Hero_. It’s a word that means different things at different times to different people. For Corrin, she takes pride in the times she’s called a hero, because to her, it means she’s helping people, in whatever way she can.

But now, the word is heavy, weighed down with broken expectations and sorrow, and she feels like no one’s hero today.

———

If she stretches her mind back far enough, she can remember a woman, a man, and a garden. She can’t see their faces, but she can hear the woman’s joyful laughter as the man pretends to chase her, growling as he does so. Corrin herself is giggling, and running as fast as her little legs will carry her after the man. She collides with his legs, and he falls to the grass with an exaggerated groan.

She smells peaches and cherry blossom as the woman picks her up, hugging her tightly in her arms.  
“Oh, my darling,” a voice at her ear, that makes her feel loved and protected, “you saved me from the monster! My _brave_ hero.” Corrin smiles, then squeals in delight as fingers dig into her ribs, and the man appears beside the woman.  
“Yes, but even heroes have bedtimes,” he speaks in warm, rich tones, affection in each syllable, “and yours is fast approaching.” She pouts, and buries her head in the white silk of the woman’s shoulder.  
“Come now, we’ll play more tomorrow, little hero.”

———

Corrin has decided that today is the worst day, and that she’s going to hate everything. She hates the stupid fortress, she hates the stupid guards, she hates her stupid bed (it’s too big, and it doesn’t feel… right), but most of all, she hates stupid Xander and his stupid _stupid_ rules.

She wanted to play knights and dragons in the courtyard with him, because no one else will play with her anymore (she remembers playing with people before, at least, she thinks she does). But stupid Xander said she’s not allowed to play outside today, and he wouldn’t even tell her why. He thinks he can tell her what to do because he’s a big boy, and she’s just little, but that’s not fair. She screamed that she hated him, and ran upstairs to her room.

She’s looking out the window, towards the East Mountains, when she hears a knock on the door.  
“Corrin? Can I come in?” It’s stupid Xander. “I just want to talk.”  
“Go away. I don’t wanna talk to you.” She hears him sigh heavily.  
“I’m going to come in now, Corrin.” She hears the door open, and she keeps looking outside as Xander sits next to her. She decides to ignore him.  
“I know you’re upset, and I’m really sorry. But we can’t play in that courtyard today.”  
“Why not?” She glares at him, then remembers she’s supposed to ignoring him, and turns back to the mountains. He sighs again.  
“There’s… reasons we can’t go, but I don’t think I can explain them well. I’m sorry.” Stupid Xander and his stupid reasons that don’t make sense.

“But how about this,” he says, “why don’t we play an inside game instead, hmm? You can choose.” She looks over at him suspiciously. He’s smiling softly, waiting patiently for her answer.  
“‘kay.” Playing an indoor game does sound fun as well. Definitely more fun than ignoring Xander, who isn’t stupid anymore, she decides. “I wanna play heroes and outlaws, but only if I get to be the hero.” He laughs at that.  
“Of course you can be the hero. Now then,” he grins mischievously, “are you gonna get me, _hero_?”  
He runs out of her room, and she gives chase, laughing as she does.

———

 

She’s on her knees in the ruined square, staring at her hands, trying to process everything. It’s really true: she isn’t Nohrian at all, she’s Hoshidan. Whoever Garon killed, that’s her real father. And that woman, Mikoto, she really is- was her mother. Everything else was a lie. Her _whole life_ is a lie.

She’s vaguely aware that someone’s talking to her, and it isn’t until her shoulder is shaken that she becomes fully conscious.

“-rrin! Are you all right, Corrin?” It’s the girl from the lake, Azura. Corrin stares a little blankly at her, then remembers with a jolt that _she was a dragon_. And she attacked Azura.  
“I’ve been better, if I’m honest. I’ll be all right with time. But, are you okay? I-I attacked you! I could have killed you!”  
“Please, don’t worry, I’m fine. You weren’t in control, it’s not your fault, understand?” She tries to protest, but Azura stops her with a finger to her lips. “Stop, listen to me. You didn’t choose to attack me, the dragon acted on instinct. I don’t blame you for what happened, Corrin. _It’s not your fault_.”  
“…It’s not my fault.” Azura smiles, and helps her stand, catching her when her legs wobble slightly.

“I feel like I’ve let everybody down. All I’ve ever wanted is to help people, to be a hero, but when they needed me, I couldn’t do anything.”  
“Well, you saved my life. That’s pretty heroic to me.” They smile at each other, gazes held for a moment, then seem to remember where they are, and look away bashfully. Azura clears her throat to speak again.  
“If you want, I can find you something that will help you control the dragon.” Her eye is caught by something behind Corrin. “But right now, I think Ryoma wants to talk to you.”  
“Thank you, Azura.” The girl nods, then turns, and disappears into the haze covering the square.

———

“Please, Azura, you can’t die like this! I won’t let you!”

And now she’s in the ruined throne room of Castle Krakenburg, helpless as the woman she loves disappears before her eyes. She ran to Azura’s side as soon as her knees buckled, screaming her name in horror. Even before she reached her, she could see her body evaporating into nothing, and knew her worst fears were being realised.

Xander. Elise. And now, Azura.

“I’m sorry, Corrin… I don’t think I can keep… my promise.”  
“No, no, th-there has to be something I can do, anything!” Azura shakes her head sadly.  
“There’s nothing… to be done, I pushed myself… too far, this time.” Corrin’s head sinks into her hands.  
“Don’t leave me like this, please, I can’t lose you as well.” Her voice is a broken whisper, cracking slightly towards the end.

A trembling hand slips under her chin, and tilts her head up to meet Azura’s golden eyes, glistening with unshed tears. The hand moves to cup her cheek, and she lifts her own hand to rest against it.  
“P-promise me one thing… before I go.”  
“Anything.”  
“Promise me you… you’ll be happy. Don’t… hold back because o-of me.” She can’t meet Azura’s eyes anymore, but she can feel her own tears running onto her fingers. She nods once, too choked with emotion to trust her words.  
“Thank you.”

She feels Azura lean forward, and when cold lips meet her own, softly, sadly, she knows it’s a ‘goodbye’, ‘I love you’, ‘I’m sorry’, all rolled into one.

“You… were always m-my hero, Corrin. Don’t… ever lose that.” Azura is more a ghost than a woman now, devoid of all colour, and translucent.  
“C-can you… smile for me, my love, one last t-time?” She obliges her as best as she can, and as she does, she swears she can feel her heart breaking.  
“Lovely…” The word is like a whisper on the breeze, and as soon as it’s said, she’s gone.

Corrin wants to scream in anger, in pain, in sadness, but she feels so drained and devoid of emotion that all she can do is sit there, tears flowing uninterrupted down her face, and onto the floor where Azura used to be.

———

_Hero_.

It was all she’d ever wanted to be, and the word never failed to fill her with pride. It was a badge of honour, a symbol of all she’d accomplished, a sign that she was making people’s lives better.

But now, it was a word heavy with pain, with regret, with _her_ memory.

And Corrin never wanted to be anyone’s hero ever again.


End file.
